


I'm Here

by Aiza_60



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Under the Red Hood
Genre: Gen, Good Sibling Cassandra Cain, Guess who died agin, Help this poor boi, Hurt/Comfort, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Jason's Death Day Challenge, POV Cassandra Cain, but okay, this actually sucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:42:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24293044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aiza_60/pseuds/Aiza_60
Summary: Cass notices something wrong with Jason during patrol. He's not normally this skittish...
Relationships: Cassandra Cain & Jason Todd
Comments: 10
Kudos: 222





	I'm Here

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Acxa_Kogane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acxa_Kogane/gifts).
  * Inspired by [And the Waterfall Thunders On](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24257341) by [Acxa_Kogane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acxa_Kogane/pseuds/Acxa_Kogane). 



> Inspired by And the Waterfall Thunders On by Acxa_Kogane, whose fic tore out my heart and stomped on it. Also, I love Jason and Cass being good siblings and need fic recs for them

Wind. It smelled like smoke, but Cass learned to love it. She glided through it, against it, with it. Cars. Down below her. They were bright and flashy. They were noisy. They were fast, sometimes. Beside them– saplings. Not trees, she remembered. Saplings. They were small, thin and delicate. Cass liked trees. They were pretty. Especially now. Green dots had started to appear on them. Alfred used a word for it– budding. They were living, again, even after cold death lulled them to sleep. Cass liked that about trees. 

Her shift for patrol was almost done. Then– sleep, in warm blankets. She smiled, under her mask. It sounded nice. 

She had been patrolling with Jason tonight. When she first met him, she didn’t understand. She didn’t understand what was between him and the rest of her family. Her words got better. She still didn’t understand. They yelled at each other. Yelling of hate. She’d seen it a million times. She didn’t like it. But their bodies.  _ They _ said  _ love _ . She saw it in a glance– a second too long. She saw it in the hesitant actions. She saw it in the way they held back when they fought. And nobody saw it but her. 

He seemed nervous tonight. She felt it coming off him in waves, by the panting of his breath. There was something wrong. Jason was not nervous. Not without reason. 

She placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. “You are… okay?” 

He froze. Then he laughed. It was dry, and it was fake. “Yeah, Cass, I’m fine. Just can’t wait to get _ home _ , you know?”  _ Lie _ . 

Cass nodded.  _ Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie _ . “Me too.” Not okay.  _ Not okay. Not okay. Not okay. Not okay. Not okay.  _ “Home early today?”

“As long as the big man doesn’t find out.  _ Adios _ , Cass.” He jumped off the building, sailing away. 

Cass watched him. Follow. Jason– not okay. She drew her mouth into a grim line and tailed her brother to his apartment. The shadows moved, and Cass moved with them. She could have been one of them. They danced. Cass danced with them. They breathed. Cass breathed with them. They disappeared– and Cass along with them. 

The apartment was dark. She slid the window open. It squeaked.  _ I’m here _ , it said. She slipped inside with heavy steps.  _ I’m here _ , they said. 

Her eyes adjusted quickly to the low light. She saw Jason. He was leaning on the couch. He hurt. She walked closer. Heavy steps. Heavy steps. Heavy steps. 

_ Click _ . “Get out of my house.” He pointed it at her. Cold, metal. Gunpowder.  _ Gun _ . 

“No.” She took the gun out of his hand. 

“You don’t wanna be here Cass. Go.” He was shaking. He hurt. Cass wanted to help. Not go.  _ Stay _ . 

She crossed her arms. “No.” 

“Cass, I’m serious,” he grunted. “You have to–” Jason fell. 

She helped him up. Couch. He needed to lie down. He hurt. “Rest.” He was cold. It was not natural. Not right. 

“Cass I–” 

Voice too weak. She pressed a finger to his lips. “Shhh. No words.” 

He thought. He didn’t look good. Not healthy.  _ Sick _ . His face was a moon. Whitening. Shining. He lifted his hands. They shook. ‘Don’t worry,’ they signed. She pushed them down. 

“Shhh.” She pushed his hair out of his face. It was slick with sweat. He was scared. He was not okay. 

His breath shuddered. She wrapped her arms around him. _ I’m here, _ they said. I _ ’m here. I’m here. I’m here. I’m here.  _ Not alone.  _ I’m here.  _ He made a sound. Cass looked at him. He was still. 

Still.  _ Still. Still. Still. Still _ . He was quiet. His eyes were open. They saw nothing. “Jason?” Silent. She pressed her head to his chest. Silent. Her fingers to his neck. Silent. To his wrist. Silent. “ _ Jason _ ?” It came out a sobbing plea. Talk.  _ Please _ . 

She looked at his eyes again.  _ Dead eyes _ . She bit her lip, stifling a sob.  _ Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead.  _ She closed his eyes. _ Not okay. _

She buried her face in his chest. His shirt was soft. Not the body armour he wore on patrol. It smelled like him. But he was cold. Cold cold cold. _ Dead _ . 

His shirt became wet with her tears. She didn’t care. How did she not see it earlier? That he was hurting. That he wasn’t okay? How did she not help? She should have– she should have done  _ something _ . 

Cass let herself stay. Stay for half an hour. Then she would leave. And tell Bruce. And then they would– no, no, no. Jason couldn’t be dead. He was always so _ alive _ , like the roaring fire in the Manor library. He was action– like Cass. He was the wind blowing at the rooftops. He was dead. 

Casting one last glance at Jason’s silent form, she stood up. She leaned in to kiss his forehead.  _ I’m sorry _ , it said. She walked to the window. Silent steps.  _ I’m sorry _ , they said. She slid open the window. 

_ I’m _ – She heard breath. Not hers.  _ Breath _ ! Breath meant life. But Jason– 

She raced back to the living room. Living room– where Jason might be alive.  _ Living. _ He wasn’t silent anymore. His chest heaved, taking breaths. He hurt, but he was alive. 

“Jason?”

He looked at her. His eyes were green. Not-natural green. They were scared. He opened his mouth. A groan fell out. No words. 

She sat beside him.  _ I’m here _ . She sat with him, as life came back to him. She didn’t say anything. Just held his hand.  _ I’m here _ , it said. He was still cold, but not like before. Not dead-cold. 

“Sorry ‘bout that Cass,” he rasped, words finally coming. 

She furrowed her brow. “What… happened?” 

“Yearly… death date, and all that. Messes me up a bit.”

“You… died again. Right now,” she frowned. 

He grunted. “Yeah. Happens every year. Never stuck though.”

Cass snuggled closer. “Okay?” 

He snorted. “Hurt but okay, Cass.” Jason looked at her “Why did you come?”

She poked his chest. “Love… little brother.” He didn’t say anything. “Can… I stay?”

He breathed. Cass was happy–  _ he breathed _ . “Yeah, Cass. Stay.” 


End file.
